jay-z has a famous line from his song “what more can i say” that goes “i’m not a biter / i’m a writer / for myself and others…” interestingly enough, i just saw the album cover for the jigga man’s long-awaited and must hyped new release “the blueprint 3” and couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he is a both a writer and a biter.

exhibit a: jay-z “blueprint 3” cover (2009)

exhibit b: delirious?’ “kingdom of comfort” cover (2008)

i’m not exactly saying he bit it… but i’m saying it’s awfully similar. it’s not a dead ringer, but i’m just sayin…

a lot of folks hate on kanye west because he is so freaking arrogant, and i’ll give them that… he is incredibly freaking arrogant. but the dude is amazing. he is one of the most progressive, creative and innovative artists in the game… in any genre! well, ladies and gentlemen, kanye west has raised the bar and flipped the script once again.

after a steady string of innovative hits and ridiculously addictive jams like “jesus walks”, “gold digger” and “stronger”, most would expect mr. west to emerge with yet another blazing musical expedition that would blow minds and move booties everywhere it’s heard.

but instead of butts, this time around it sounds like he is aiming to move minds and challenge his listeners with… *gasp* change! change is amazing. change is vital. if you’re going to stay on top of your game, remain relevant, and be effective in whatever it is you do, you must accept, embrace and be an agent of change. my homey brewster just wrote a killer blog about change that you should go read right now!

“love lockdown” is the new single from kanye’s new album, reportedly titled “808s and heartbreak”, which is due by the end of the year. he performed it at the vmas this week (one of the only 2 memorable moments in an otherwise lackluster show) and the performance was great. it’s not what anyone was expecting from him. it is surprisingly and refreshingly low key and subdued compared to many of his other more hyper-edged material. it sounds like what’s next. it sounds like innovation. it’s strength is it’s simplicity. it sounds like change… and it’s about to be everywhere.

i may have been born in 1975, but i am without a doubt a child of the 90’s… music, that is. i have been such a music head for the longest time, but in 1990, i was a freshmen in high school and was really starting to find my groove, so to speak. it was about this time that music began playing a more significant role in my life and i started to feel like music would be more than just a hobby for me.

i am watching vh-1’s 100 greatest songs of the 90s and it is taking me on an incredible trip down memory lane. sure, every decade has its classic signature songs, sounds and artists, but the 90s were so definitive for me, personally. so many of these songs provided the soundtrack for memory after memory for me throughout the entire decade.

who can forget publicly despising but secretly loving “mmmbop”, being mesmerized by lauryn hill’s (with the fugees) haunting take on “killing me softly”, doing “the humpty dance” at high school dances, thinking that hootie was the name of the black guy who sang lead for the blowfish or saying that you were “too sexy” for just about anything?

the only complaint i have is that janet jackson’s “that’s the way love goes” was suspiciously absent from the countdown. i don’t know if someone at vh-1 was sippin’ haterade when they did the list or what, but not only is that janet’s best song ever (imo), it was a huge hit and came at the height of her success during the janet. (1993) era. while she still had some spotty hits after that, she never again hit like she did from 93-96. ever. but i digress…

i must also call into question the glaring omission of warren g’s “regulate” and “i wanna be down” by brandy. both big crossover hits, but mysteriously missing from the list of the 100 greatest songs of the 90s. likewise, love him or hate him, the 90s gave us r. kelly, and both his first pop crossover hit “bump and grind” and international smash “i believe i can fly” are noticably absent. oh well…

the boys from nelson (of “(cant live without your) love and affection” fame) kept popping up and contributing their two-cents throughout the show and i couldn’t help but wonder which one of them actually looks more like ellen degeneres…

did anyone know that kevin thornton (formerly of color me badd) actually has a gospel cd? of course you didn’t, and it was probably better that way.

looking for some fresh new music? check out flobots. their joint “handlebars” is killing. musically, it is equal parts eminem, gorillaz, rage against the machine, beastie boys and linkin park… flobots are bringing the heat.

looking for more fresh sounds? check out my nifty little music blog, flava in ya ear, while you’re at it. 😉